Music Friday: Swing Revival Meets Romance in 'Baby Wants a Diamond Ring'

Welcome to Music Friday, when we bring you fun tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today’s sparkling selection comes from the ever-eccentric Swing Revival favorites Squirrel Nut Zippers, who sing about romance, commitment and a not-so-subtle craving for fine jewelry in their irresistible track, “Baby Wants a Diamond Ring.”

Written by bandleader James “Jimbo” Mathus, the song captures a familiar relationship dynamic: One partner ready for forever, the other dragging his feet. The protagonist makes her wishes perfectly clear, pressing her slow-to-commit beau to do the “right thing” — and to do it with diamonds.

She sings, “Baby wants a diamond to have and hold / A diamond ring with a band of gold.”

It’s classic jewelry symbolism wrapped in playful swing-era swagger. The diamond ring here isn’t just decoration — it’s a promise. Diamonds have long represented endurance and lasting love, while the gold band signifies unity and permanence. In just a few lines, the song turns a piece of fine jewelry into the ultimate relationship milestone.

Later in the song, she admits that pearls are appealing — “so nice” — but they won’t seal the deal. Only diamonds will do. That lyrical insistence speaks to the diamond’s cultural power: it’s not merely a stone, but a symbol of devotion, security and status — the kind of gift meant to last a lifetime.

“Baby Wants a Diamond Ring” appeared as the second track on the band’s fifth studio album, Bedlam Ballroom, released in 2000. By then, Squirrel Nut Zippers had already carved out a unique place in modern music history.

Their breakthrough came with the 1996 album Hot, which sold more than 1.3 million copies, earned a platinum certification and gained major momentum through the support of National Public Radio and college radio stations. When Hot hit the airwaves, it didn’t just revive swing sounds — it sparked a cultural bonfire, bringing vintage jazz, blues and Americana back into the mainstream.

The original lineup, including Mathus, Katharine Whalen, Chris Phillips and Stu Cole, created a sound that critics struggled to define. Their music has been described as a fusion of Delta blues, gypsy jazz, 1930s swing, klezmer, rockabilly, and even what one writer jokingly called “30s punk.”

The band derived its name from a 1920s-era caramel and peanut candy of the same name, which was itself inspired by a Prohibition-era bootleg moonshine known as a "nut zipper."

Over the years, they’ve toured with Neil Young, performed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, and appeared on late-night staples such as The Tonight Show and Late Show with David Letterman.

And the Zippers are still going strong. Still led by founder Mathus, the band is celebrating its legacy with a 30th-anniversary “In the Afterlife” tour, playing dates across the US into early 2026, including stops in California, Colorado, Florida, New York, Maryland and Connecticut.

Please check out the audio track of Squirrel Nut Zippers performing “Baby Wants a Diamond Ring.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Baby Wants a Diamond Ring”
Written by James Mathus. Performed by the Squirrel Nut Zippers.

Hey there baby
I have gotten some news for you

You think you’re something out of sight
To take me out every night
Take me out show me everything
But you won’t do the right thing

Baby wants a diamond to have and hold
A diamond ring with a band of gold

String of pearls are so nice
But it ain’t worth a trip to paradise
Your weary romance is much too slow
You gotta give up all that dough

Baby wants a diamond to have and hold
A diamond ring with a band of gold

Baby wants a diamond to have and hold
A diamond ring with a band of gold

Credit: Photo by Bruce Andersen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.